This invention relates to a dehydrating device used in evaporator of a refrigerator (or an air conditioner) system, and particularly to use electro-hydrodynamic technique on an evaporator of a refrigeration (or an air conditioner) system so as to have the electric-charged condensed water on the evaporator removed quickly by means of an electric attractive face in order to enable the evaporator to have a better heat conductively for stepping up the operation efficiency of the refrigeration (or an air conditioner) system.
FIG. 1 shows the cycling circuit of a conventional refrigeration (or an air conditioner) system, which usually comprises a compressor 1, a condenser 2, an expansion valve 3 and an evaporator 4. After the gaseous refrigerant of low temperature goes through the compressor 1 to be compressed into a high-pressure and high-temperature gaseous refrigerant, the refrigerant will exchange heat with the outer fluid via the condenser 2, and then it will be could into a high-pressure and mid-temperature liquid refrigerant; then, it will pass the expansion valve 3 to become a low-pressure and mid-temperature liquid refrigerant; the liquid refrigerant will then flow through the evaporator 4 to absorb the outer heat so as to provide a cold chamber; finally, the refrigerant will become a low-pressure and low-temperature gaseous refrigerant through the evaporator 4, and a whole cycle of the refrigerant is completed.
According to the aforesaid conventional cycling method of refrigerant, a fan-cooling fin pipe type of evaporator 4 is used, and it includes a zig-zag type of copper pipe used for carrying refrigerant, a plurality of fins attached to the copper pipe, and a fan to provide a blowing air; the fins are used for increasing the heat-exchanging area of the evaporator 4. The fan is used for blowing air to flow among the fins so as to provide heat-exchange between the fins and the copper pipe. Since the fins and the copper pipe have a considerable low temperature, the moisture in the flowing air will be condensed on the fins and the copper pipe; as soon as the moisture is condensed to a given weight, it will drop and flow to the bottoms of the fins and the copper pipe to drain off; most of the condensed water drips will be drained off from the bottoms of the fins.
Evidently, the condensed water drips on the evaporator will badly affect the heat-exchanging operation of the fins and the copper pipe; and also hinder air ventilation among the fins; in fact, such condensed drips would cause the motor of fan becoming overload, and cause the evaporator to have a poor and low transfer performance.
Theoretically, the shorter the condensed water stays on the fins of the evaporator and the copper pipe, the better the evaporator has more efficiency. However, the only way of removing the condensed water on a conventional evaporator 4 is by using the weight of the water drips themselves, and the weight is considered the only direct factor, while the indirect factor therefore or an auxiliary force is the collision of air flowing, the vibration the fan motor and the slight vibration of the copper pipe upon refrigerant therein flowing. In terms of experience, all the aforesaid factors would not satisfy the requirement of removing the condensed water quickly; consequently, the condensed water would still be deemed a major factor to affect the transfer performance of the evaporator.
FIG. 2 shows a patent application filed under No.8821069 in R.O.C. by the same applicant; the aforesaid application disclosed a dehydrator device 100 used in evaporator 4 of refrigeration (or an air conditioner) system; the device comprises an electrode member 5 and a voltage source 6, of which two terminals are connected with the heat-exchanging assembly (not shown) of the evaporator 4 and the electrode member 5 respectively. The electrode member 5 is mounted under the lower end of the heat-exchanging assembly 4 at a given space so as to form into an electric field between the lower end of the evaporator 4 and the electrode member 5. By means of the electric field, water drips fall, as a result of gravity, to the lower end of the heat-exchanging assembly will be removed quickly therefrom. As a result of the quick move of water drips on the heat-exchanging assembly and the centripetal force of fluid, the water will flow to the lower end of the heat-exchanging assembly rapidly.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view, showing the relation between the condensed water drips 7 on the heat-exchanging assembly 42 (just showing an embodiment of using fins) of the evaporator 4 and the electrode member 5. Since water has a higher dielectric coefficient, it obtains electric charge easily; therefore, the condensed water drips 7 on the lower end of the heat-exchanging assembly are subject to carrying negative change; consequently, the water drips 7, in addition to gravity thereof, and the electrode member 5 will form into an electric field, which is a driving force; in other words, the water drips will be removed from the lower end of the heat-exchanging assembly 42 before being accumulated into a sufficient gravity to fall down; then, the water can be drained off of the systems thorough a pipe or other means on the evaporator 4.
As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional prior art includes a single voltage source 6 of only one period of cycling to provide a negative voltage source for the heat-exchanging assembly (not shown) of the evaporator 4 and a positive voltage source for electrode member 5 (i.e., the periodic change of the positive voltage and the negative voltage having no time difference). The voltage furnished with the voltage source 6 may be as high as several thousands of voltages (but the current being very low); when the single voltage source 6 is supplying the positive and negative voltages simultaneously, the operation of the system might have an unstable stats as a result of the positive and negative voltages being discharged at the same time; for example, the compressor might be out of order suddenly, or the push button fails to operate, or the system must be turned again; all the aforesaid problems must be improved and overcome.
The prime object of the present invention is to provide a dehydrating device used in evaporator of a refrigeration (or an air conditioner) system. The electric fluid dynamics can also be used in the device so as to have the condensed water carrying a charge on the evaporator removed quickly by means of the attractive force of the electrode member upon the water drips having very low weight, and to let the transfer performance of the evaporator reach the most effective extent in order to increase the operation efficiency of whole system; by means of controlling the voltage-changing period of the evaporator and the electrode member, a time difference can take place between the two parts; the high positive and negative voltages applied thereto at different time enable the whole system to have a higher stable operation without being out of order unintentionally.
In order to reach the aforesaid object, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is furnished with a heat-exchanging assembly in the evaporator, the heat-exchanging assembly has a lower end; the dehydrating device includes:
An electric member mounted under the lower end of the heat-exchanging assembly at a given space; the electric member is in an open-circuit condition from the heat-exchanging assembly;
Two voltage sources including a positive voltage source and a negative voltage source; the positive voltage source is connected with the electrode member, while the negative voltage source is connected with the heat-exchanging assembly so as to form into an electric filed between the two parts; and
Two time controller being connected with the two voltage source respectively so as to control the power-supply periods of the two voltage sources, i.e., to have a time difference between the power-supply periods of the two voltage sources; in other words, the positive and negative voltage are supplied not simultaneously.
In the present invention, the two voltage sources can provide a period-changing electric field between the lower end of the heat-exchanging assembly and the electrode member; by means of the driving force of the electric field, the fluid condensed on the lower end of the heat-exchanging assembly can be removed from the surface of the heat-exchanging assembly.
The present invention further comprises a control unit connected between the two voltage sources and the two time controller so as to control the operation of the two time controller and the two voltage sources.
In the present invention, the electrode member is one end of the electric field, and it is substantially a conductor, such as wire, a plat plate, a pan loaded with water, or the conductive casing of the evaporator.
In the present invention, the two voltage sources of the dehydrating device are used for producing high voltage for the electric field; they can be DC voltage sources, AC voltage sources, or other voltage producing device. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the voltage source is a pulse-voltage source, in which a flyback transformer is used so as to provide the electric field with a high voltage but a low current.
In the present invention, the heat-exchanging assembly of the evaporator can be a fin-structure assembly, a copper pipe structure assembly, or other structure for heat-exchanging function.